Armstrong, Bain, and Haberkorn Are 2014 APHA Showmanship World Champions

By: Brittany Bevis

Three Showmanship World Champions were crowned this evening in a tough set of classes at the 2014 APHA World Championship Show. First up, Adriana Armstrong and Shez Makin A Scene were named the World Champions in Novice Amateur Showmanship. Coming in Reserve was Paris Hughes with Fancy Favors. Rounding out the top three was Robyn Ewing with Good With Guns.

Then, it was time for the Classic Amateur Showmanship, which saw Chelsea Bain take the top spot with Sensational Blonde. Another Simons Show Horses team member was named the Reserve Champion, Taylor Lynn Prince, with One Flashy Sensation. Rounding out the top three was Christine Weiser with Nighttime Sensation.

Although Bain is a prior multiple World Champion in this event, the last time she competed at an APHA World Show was in 2011. “It seems like a century ago,” she says. “I definitely have been a little bit more anxious at this World Show than any other, because I haven’t gotten to practice as much as I usually do. I have that youth kid mentality still embedded in me.”

Bain’s veteran partner, Barbie, is 12 years old now and has been enjoying a bit of time off while her owner focuses on her budding music career in Nashville, TN. “For she and I both, it definitely took us a few days to get back to being comfortable again,” Bain says.

“We came into Fort Worth the beginning of last week, because I played the NASCAR race last weekend with my band. I told Sara [Simons] that everybody else was at the show in Waco practicing, and I had all this anxiety because I wasn’t. I wasn’t ok until I got here and was actually practicing with Barbie.”

Although it can be difficult to juggle her music career with showing horses, Bain is grateful for both.

“I talk about horse showing in Nashville all the time,” she says. “Everything I’ve learned, as far as showing horses, correlates right into the music industry. They say, ‘Oh, you have to work hard and stay up late,’ and I say, ‘You’ve never been to a horse show!’ It’s just a great way to grow up, because it has taught me work ethic.”

On the music front, Bain is just finishing up the year on the NASCAR tour and will begin working on some new music over the holiday break.

“I leave here on the 12th, and the following week I go back into the studio again and start working on some new music,” she says. “I will be writing all through December.”

Results of the Masters Amateur Showmanship class showed nearly a clean sweep with Melissa Haberkorn and VR Knockyour Socksoff receiving four firsts and one second. “Socks” is now 15 years old, but Haberkorn says he’s still as solid as a rock.

“We laid it out there,” she says. “We wanted to go out there and push it a little bit harder than we usually do; we wanted to have harder stops and a little faster trot and open up the envelope. He did the most beautiful set-up; two steps and we had it.”

Earlier in the show, Haberkorn and Socks were in the winner’s circle again receiving a Reserve World Champion title in Masters Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation. The pair also placed seventh in Masters Amateur Senior Hunter Under Saddle. Currently, they compete under the guidance of Carly Veldman Parks and Wade Parks. Coming up next at the show, they will compete in Masters Amateur Horsemanship, Trail, and Western Riding.

Masters Amateur Showmanship-

1-VR KnockYour SocksOff/Melissa Haberkorn

2-Timeless Assets/Coleen Bull

3-Pick Your Pleasure/Marcie Griffin-Michaels

4-Radicalized/Susan Prince

5-Uaintgonnatouchthis/Sid Karr

6-Sensational Gentlemen/Leona Martz

7-Ill Be Sensational/Daranne Folino

8-Sally Shields/Zippin My Teddy

9-One Sensational Diva/Tina Slater

10- Invested In White/Janice Wolfe

Intermediate Champion- InTheSweetShop/Marilyn Caliendo

Classic Amateur Showmanship–

1-Sensational Blonde/Chelsea Bain

2-One Flashy Sensation/Taylor Lynn Prince

3-Nighttime Sensation/Christine Weiser

4-Gametime Sensation/Ali Eidson

5-Zipped Up Fine/Brian Brady

6-Reddy Made Rockstar/Kaye Nell Ivins

7-All That I Got/Megan Seehafer

8-Hes Wiser/Missy Merwald

9-A Sudden Legacy/Desarae Gilley

10- Talkabout A Roadster/Lindsey Mclain

Intermediate Champion- Zipped Up Fine/Brian Brady

Novice Amateur Showmanship-

1-Shez Makin A Scene/Adriana Armstrong

2-Fancy Favors/Paris Hughes

3-Good With Guns/Robyn Ewing

4-Too Kool For Hugs/Brooke Hammond

5-Elite Le Zipped Up/Evette Hart

6-Your One And Only/Emma Johnson

7-Coosadas Luck/Taryn Hardwick

8-Who Painted Me/Kimberly Love

9-Invy My Royal T/Caitlin Tenewitz

10-Shez By Design/Leann Pierce